Ah! Christmas holidays! The food, the family, the friends, the festivities.... and then it's over. All the presents have been opened, the kitchen is a horrendous mess, and the little ones are running amok on sugar highs!... and in one week, it will be NEW YEAR'S!!! oh, happy happy, joy joy...
I had a geology centered Christmas. My friends and family are the best! I received a carved stone jewelry box. I haven't taken a good look at what stone yet, but the carving is of excellent lacy vines. I also received a calcite lamp, perfect to display with my rose quartz bookends. I got a locally made, beautiful hematite and semiprecious stones necklace and bracelet, plus two bloodstone spheres. I love rocks and minerals! :)
My gifts to others were primarily hand-crocheted items. I found free patterns online for fingerless gloves and lip-blam cozies. I also tried to design a few hats and make a matching scarf for one of them... I had to rip out the scarf and restart twice! Grrr! But, it's working out this time... I am more careful with the counting LOL.
Hey, this year global warming (heh heh) brought a snowstorm to the southeastern US! That never happens! A white Christmas in Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh?... Bing Crosby has been dreaming for a long time here! ... I'm not a fan of snow. It's "fluffy rain"... it's cold and makes the roads slick (slicker than just rainwater)... it gets in my boots and sleeves, soaks through my mittens, and if the wind is blowing, stings any centimeter of flesh not safely hidden beyond a pile of fluff and stuff. I look like the Michelin Man (TM) or the Sta-Puff Marshmallow(TM) guy except I don't wear white!
Sure, snow is pretty when it gently floats from the grisly grey clouds... and smooths the landscape with a soft white blanket... Then it reeks havoc on the bridges, and drivers forget how to drive. Next are the weakest tree branches that crash over power lines and utility sheds. THEN comes the melt., making everything all soggy for days! See, if it had just rained in the first place, the water would have run away to the streams and a half week later, there would be no remnants.
I'm the minority around here. Most folks I know are loving the snow. Children pray for it beginning the first day of school. Even the adults seem enchanted by a White Christmas... bah! Humbug! ... I think I must have stayed out too late a few times when I was younger; back when snow was "cool." Maybe I got too cold? Maybe I wrecked my sled, and never shook off the embarrassment? Maybe I was the target of a slush ball to the head? Maybe after I started driving I started dreading the "fluffy rain?"... Doesn't matter... I hear it never snows in Southern California?... and that definitely makes it one of the Top 10 Places I want to live!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
First blog.... aren't you lucky!: Need Readers and Followers.. heh heh
First blog.... aren't you lucky!: Need Readers and Followers.. heh heh: "Don't you love it? Everyday people going on and on about what they are doing, have done, and would like to do, in a public forum where no on..."
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Need Readers and Followers.. heh heh
Don't you love it? Everyday people going on and on about what they are doing, have done, and would like to do, in a public forum where no one interrupts? It is great, isn't it! You are right now reading the meddlings of a 40-something year old in North Carolina, USA.... let's see if I can entertain you:
So, today, I managed to stay asleep long enough to have two VERY strange dreams! I first dreamt I was in my room at my friends house, refusing to get out of bed (dark, comfy, depressed, and trying to have a wonderful dream about a certain man I happen to think is AWESOME!).. ok, in my dream, my friend comes into the room to bring a Christmas card that is ACTUALLY a flyer for a local barbecue. It is still dark in the room, she steps over stuff in the floor to turn on the TV. Then her daughter comes in and they lounge on the bed to watch a static-y black and white program on TV. Annoyed, I decide to get up and take a shower. I can't find my robe in the mess. I get to the bathroom. The light doesn't come on. I notice my friend has been working on replacing the switch. I decide to take a shower in the dark, but the tub is filled with water and has shredded cardboard looking stuff in it! I might have to use the daughter's bathroom. The toilet and a second bathtub are also filled with water, and when I pull the plug on the main tub, the second tub starts overflowing. I holler out, and my friend comes to see what the problem is. The water in both tubs is draining now, and my friend gestures to a 4inch pipe in the middle of the floor. She talks about "that's what happens when [you] don't get the styrofoam out." She doesn't mean me.
So, today, I managed to stay asleep long enough to have two VERY strange dreams! I first dreamt I was in my room at my friends house, refusing to get out of bed (dark, comfy, depressed, and trying to have a wonderful dream about a certain man I happen to think is AWESOME!).. ok, in my dream, my friend comes into the room to bring a Christmas card that is ACTUALLY a flyer for a local barbecue. It is still dark in the room, she steps over stuff in the floor to turn on the TV. Then her daughter comes in and they lounge on the bed to watch a static-y black and white program on TV. Annoyed, I decide to get up and take a shower. I can't find my robe in the mess. I get to the bathroom. The light doesn't come on. I notice my friend has been working on replacing the switch. I decide to take a shower in the dark, but the tub is filled with water and has shredded cardboard looking stuff in it! I might have to use the daughter's bathroom. The toilet and a second bathtub are also filled with water, and when I pull the plug on the main tub, the second tub starts overflowing. I holler out, and my friend comes to see what the problem is. The water in both tubs is draining now, and my friend gestures to a 4inch pipe in the middle of the floor. She talks about "that's what happens when [you] don't get the styrofoam out." She doesn't mean me.
Okay, so if THAT dream was not enough to encourage me to abandon hopes of a romantic interlude, I then dream that I am with my older sister, her oldest son, and a fair-haired, good-looking man who (apparently) has known the family for a long time. We are at my grandmother's house (mom's mother). The well water has been running ruddy. The old iron pipes need replacing/repairing. The man and I are sitting at the kitchen table. My sis is on the phone and is standing by the kitchen sink. I poured Pepsi from a single-serving bottle into my plastic cup with ice. The man is talking about his disappointment or disapproval of my sister when, several years ago, he noticed that she was paying her phone [bill? new phone?] while I was "having to take money out of the bank." Apparently, his thoughts were that family should look after one another financially and if one was comfortable and another in need then the former should alleviate the burden of the latter. I was explaining how our family does not operate as a socialist group, and if one is financially burdened, that one needs to get off his bum and go to work. I go to the freezer to get more ice for my cup. The icemaker is making dirty ice because the water is not clean. There IS clean ice in some icetrays. I look at the dirty chunk I just put in my cup and show it to the man and my nephew. There is a tablespoon sized chunk of soil with green moss on it frozen in the ice. I am thinking there must be a serious pipe burst not far from the well. I go to the living room to find a place to throw away the dirty ice cube [because there is a sink in there?] My sister motions for me to bring it to her and not throw it away. I ask why she wants it. "Why do I ever want anything?" came the reply as she sat on the floor and set the ice on top of three small nandina sprouts she had uprooted while still on the phone. (the answer to the question is: because Mom wants it). My sister then tells me that Mom told my nephew that the water would settle after a couple of hours (it has been a little longer than this already). I took a glass from the dish drainer by the sink and filled it with cold water from the tap. I set it on the soap dish that is attached over the faucet. Two larger glasses of water were already placed there. My addition caused the dish to tip, threatening to crash the dishes into the sink. I try to rebalance them as my sister talks.
SO NOW... I give up on dreaming and get up and take a shower in my well-lit, no plumbing problems bathroom. I watched a Christmas movie (A Miser Brothers' Christmas) with my goddaughter and went to Walmart for yarn (for her gift) and packing supplies (for eBay) ... oh, and batteries for my camera! ... If you want to, I would love love love to hear your ideas about what these crazy dreams mean... I did have a good one last week I didn't tell you about. Involved the awesome man I mentioned in the beginning... except for the "things not as they seem" theme running through it, it was all right....
Total Eclipse of the Moon
That is so AWESOME!! The Earth... a big ball of rock and water... drifts past the Moon... a smaller ball of rock... and casting a shadow over the entire face of the Moon! A lunar creature would have the privilege of watching a total solar eclipse, but I have the privilege of viewing the Moon, stripped of its reflected sunlight and floating naked against a velvety backdrop of winter constellations.
It is an eerie sight, no doubt about it! If I was not expecting the event, and had wandered outside about 2:30am (EST/USA) I would have looked up and around at the sky and gasped WHAT IS THAT?! The moon, to be sure, looks like a ball or a very round something suspended in a very near atmosphere! The peachy-ness of its appearance is so intriguing, I can't stop looking at it!
I get excited just pondering these big floaty balls we walk on! The Earth, Moon, Sun, and all the other celestial wonders [seem to] float in precision orbits in an orchestrated dance. Sometimes, the inhabitants of one ball gets to witness the passing of another ball directly... like two ships passing in the night; big, slow, deliberate, and silent.
My camera (Canon Powershot A720) is low on battery power, and there was occasional fog earlier (before totality). I don't have my tripod here nor my telescope, and I have not mastered even the basics of astrophotography... all to say, sorry, I do not have any pictures to share, only my emotional description of the awesomeness of two balls of rock passing in the night.
Please leave comments if you watched the eclipse. I want to hear what you thought about during the event... Merry Solstice!
It is an eerie sight, no doubt about it! If I was not expecting the event, and had wandered outside about 2:30am (EST/USA) I would have looked up and around at the sky and gasped WHAT IS THAT?! The moon, to be sure, looks like a ball or a very round something suspended in a very near atmosphere! The peachy-ness of its appearance is so intriguing, I can't stop looking at it!
I get excited just pondering these big floaty balls we walk on! The Earth, Moon, Sun, and all the other celestial wonders [seem to] float in precision orbits in an orchestrated dance. Sometimes, the inhabitants of one ball gets to witness the passing of another ball directly... like two ships passing in the night; big, slow, deliberate, and silent.
My camera (Canon Powershot A720) is low on battery power, and there was occasional fog earlier (before totality). I don't have my tripod here nor my telescope, and I have not mastered even the basics of astrophotography... all to say, sorry, I do not have any pictures to share, only my emotional description of the awesomeness of two balls of rock passing in the night.
Please leave comments if you watched the eclipse. I want to hear what you thought about during the event... Merry Solstice!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Found my crochet hooks...
So maybe Christmas will be ok after all.
(Still need a job... or at least a steady stream of income.... wonder how many hats I can make with two balls of yarn?)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Getting the hang of eBay...
Wow! in less than a month, I have rid myself of about 30 items for a total selling price of about $200!! Okay, so it's not a gold mine, but it got me out of a tight spot! I have learned a little something: the US Postal Service has it out for the "regular people"! LOL hahahahaha... no, seriously. Check this out:
I do not have a postage scale at home so I have to guess what the weight of a package is. I set the shipping charges on my listing by what I think the item weighs. I am a poor guesser! BUT parcel rate on a package takes 3x as long to get there, but saves me only 25 cents over Priority Mail! That's right, one quarter of a dollar, twenty-five cents! Plus, since I am adding delivery confirmation/tracking on each package, the deliv. conf. with Priority Mail is 10 cents LESS than with any other option!... so, really, it's costing only 15 (fifteen!) cents to upgrade to Priority service!... Fifteen cents to get there in 2 to 3 days, versus 9 to 11 days. My clerk always asks if I want to send a package Priority, I think the postal service is pushing priority mail. Maybe one day ALL packages will go priority 2-3 day and none will be dragging around the system for two weeks until someone finally decides to deliver it. Why would you not opt for Priority?
Ok, that's not where they get me.... it's the graduated postage scale... If a package is under 13 oz. it can ride first-class (cheap). GREAT! If it is 13.1 oz, however the rates jump up considerably and I am wondering why the postal service eliminated some of the smaller flat rate box styles and increased the rates 25% (twenty-five PERCENT, not 25c). GRRRRR!
But I am getting better with estimating. In 22 mailed packages, my postage error is under $15. (yeah, I did a couple of free shippings! like a dummy!) My eBay fees (listing, if any, and final value fees (9%!!) and PayPal fees (30c plus 2.9% of total amount received)) and my postage costs errors, and any tape/boxes I have purchased for the endeavors have all run me about $60. Then, 22 sold items put $140 in my account. Not too bad? Paid cell bill, car insurance and one credit card. So, put to good use....
Still need a steady source of income. Thank goodness I hadn't donated ALL my stuff to Goodwill and could eBay some of it. Applied at a local department store last week. Won't hear back until after Christmas. PartyLite and Avon are a little slow while people are looking for instant delivery/ cash-and-carry items and not wanting the stress of waiting for shipment hoping it arrives in time. I DO have hostesses lined up for January, just need to remind them of their commitments... and check my class schedule! Classes start up again after the First.
Okay, enough chit chat! My room is a chaotic mess again! Today it's because I set up my little 3 ft Christmas tree on my dresser. Now I need to stow all the stuff that WAS on the dresser! Cute tree, though. It was my grandmother's. She bought a new fiber-optic tree that turns around and gave me her old pre-lit tree. It's nice. I should take a picture for you. (Haven't learned how to add pics yet). TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
I do not have a postage scale at home so I have to guess what the weight of a package is. I set the shipping charges on my listing by what I think the item weighs. I am a poor guesser! BUT parcel rate on a package takes 3x as long to get there, but saves me only 25 cents over Priority Mail! That's right, one quarter of a dollar, twenty-five cents! Plus, since I am adding delivery confirmation/tracking on each package, the deliv. conf. with Priority Mail is 10 cents LESS than with any other option!... so, really, it's costing only 15 (fifteen!) cents to upgrade to Priority service!... Fifteen cents to get there in 2 to 3 days, versus 9 to 11 days. My clerk always asks if I want to send a package Priority, I think the postal service is pushing priority mail. Maybe one day ALL packages will go priority 2-3 day and none will be dragging around the system for two weeks until someone finally decides to deliver it. Why would you not opt for Priority?
Ok, that's not where they get me.... it's the graduated postage scale... If a package is under 13 oz. it can ride first-class (cheap). GREAT! If it is 13.1 oz, however the rates jump up considerably and I am wondering why the postal service eliminated some of the smaller flat rate box styles and increased the rates 25% (twenty-five PERCENT, not 25c). GRRRRR!
But I am getting better with estimating. In 22 mailed packages, my postage error is under $15. (yeah, I did a couple of free shippings! like a dummy!) My eBay fees (listing, if any, and final value fees (9%!!) and PayPal fees (30c plus 2.9% of total amount received)) and my postage costs errors, and any tape/boxes I have purchased for the endeavors have all run me about $60. Then, 22 sold items put $140 in my account. Not too bad? Paid cell bill, car insurance and one credit card. So, put to good use....
Still need a steady source of income. Thank goodness I hadn't donated ALL my stuff to Goodwill and could eBay some of it. Applied at a local department store last week. Won't hear back until after Christmas. PartyLite and Avon are a little slow while people are looking for instant delivery/ cash-and-carry items and not wanting the stress of waiting for shipment hoping it arrives in time. I DO have hostesses lined up for January, just need to remind them of their commitments... and check my class schedule! Classes start up again after the First.
Okay, enough chit chat! My room is a chaotic mess again! Today it's because I set up my little 3 ft Christmas tree on my dresser. Now I need to stow all the stuff that WAS on the dresser! Cute tree, though. It was my grandmother's. She bought a new fiber-optic tree that turns around and gave me her old pre-lit tree. It's nice. I should take a picture for you. (Haven't learned how to add pics yet). TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Twas the week before the week before Christmas...
Oh, my! All the stuff to do before Christmas! Find my Christmas tree that my grandmother gave me last year (it's here in the closet somewhere!), finish the shopping, finish the crocheted gifts (might not happen) and ... oh my! there is just too much! I need to move stuff around to give room for visiting family, check the menu for changes (you laugh, but I might need more potato salad!)... hmmm party at friend's house, invitations to other gatherings, caroling (I can hide my non-musical talent with talent of others) ... okay. Lunch time, then nap time! Making a to-do list makes me tired just thinking about it all! I am still pushing stuff on eBay, calling hostesses to commit to home parties (while they have their friends over)... must find Jaran Stratton's films/movies for my stocking!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Homeschool Nation - College Search for Homeschoolers (Search, Plan, Achieve)
PLEASE VOTE FOR MY FRIEND! "Kristian in NC" She has advanced to the final four and needs all the votes she can get! The competition is tougher every round!
Kristian is a beautiful young lady inside and out! She is the wonderful girlfriend of my nephew, Paul, and I want to help her to succeed in her academic and professional career. Please vote from your home, office, laptop, ipad, iphone, library, school.... wherever you can get online! Remember "KRISTIAN in NC"... She has a prepared essay on the Homeschool Nation community 2010 scholarship page if you would like to know more!
The Homeschool Nation - College Search for Homeschoolers (Search, Plan, Achieve)
Congratulations to all of our finalists!We had many worthy candidates, congratulations to all that joined our new online community! Our finalists were selected for this year's Homeschool Scholar of the Year Award because of the achievements, focus, and motivation they conveyed through their online student profile. We will post and award many more scholarships throughout 2011, so stay plugged into HSNATION.com for more details.
http://www.hsncommunity.com/voting.php
SEMI-FINALS voting ends THIS Saturday, December 11th!!
Monday, December 6, 2010
eBay Rocks!
So, if you've been following... I am a financially challenged part-time college student. I applied to a couple of employment opportunities that interested me on careerbuilder.com, but have had no response from those applications. However, many MANY insurance agents are looking for new salesteam members .... and the local auto-mall needs more car salespeople... and a few spammers want to help me set up a bank account so I can help them broaden their business horizons in the US. Something's gotta give...
Enter eBay. The international auction site that has taken the world by storm and just keeps on rolling! I took a quick look at my personal inventory, you know, the stuff sitting for the past 10 years in storage (or some part of 10 years as I shuffle it in and out of use). I did a few searches on eBay to see if my "stuff" had reasonable cash value, and ... well, some of it does! So, how should I invoke my old seller ID and move this stuff from storage to bank account?... eBay has changed over the past couple of years while I was sleeping!
eBay gives sellers a lot more free helpers (Vendio services) to attract more customers and keep buyers in the seller's store longer. Seller feedback (from buyer) is a 5-star scale, buyer feedback (from seller) cannot be negative... it seems all payments must filter through PayPal or eBay gets really upset... it's ok. I prefer PayPal.
Some things have not changed. The postage rates continue to go up, and the services get consolidates (read: some cheaper options are no longer available). Buyers complain over shipping charges even when they come out ahead of the actual charge! Example: buyer wins auction on 3 separate items (textbooks). I consolidate shipping and send cheapest way (per request).... USPS Media Rate. The eBay postage calculator charges the buyer the exact postage (right to the penny!). At the post office, I pay an additional $0.80 for delivery confirmation. The buyer leaves me positive feedback but warns that my "shipping charges are pricey." Ah, well, I shot the buyer an email politely defending the charge. Very politely! I don't want to lose my new customer. I have other items they will want (based on purchase history) and have yet to be listed....
All this to say, I am glad I got back into eBay. I am paring down my clutter and stacking up some much needed dough (haha stack now, pay to insurance, phone, gasoline, Walmart, FoodLion, student loans...)
Enter eBay. The international auction site that has taken the world by storm and just keeps on rolling! I took a quick look at my personal inventory, you know, the stuff sitting for the past 10 years in storage (or some part of 10 years as I shuffle it in and out of use). I did a few searches on eBay to see if my "stuff" had reasonable cash value, and ... well, some of it does! So, how should I invoke my old seller ID and move this stuff from storage to bank account?... eBay has changed over the past couple of years while I was sleeping!
eBay gives sellers a lot more free helpers (Vendio services) to attract more customers and keep buyers in the seller's store longer. Seller feedback (from buyer) is a 5-star scale, buyer feedback (from seller) cannot be negative... it seems all payments must filter through PayPal or eBay gets really upset... it's ok. I prefer PayPal.
Some things have not changed. The postage rates continue to go up, and the services get consolidates (read: some cheaper options are no longer available). Buyers complain over shipping charges even when they come out ahead of the actual charge! Example: buyer wins auction on 3 separate items (textbooks). I consolidate shipping and send cheapest way (per request).... USPS Media Rate. The eBay postage calculator charges the buyer the exact postage (right to the penny!). At the post office, I pay an additional $0.80 for delivery confirmation. The buyer leaves me positive feedback but warns that my "shipping charges are pricey." Ah, well, I shot the buyer an email politely defending the charge. Very politely! I don't want to lose my new customer. I have other items they will want (based on purchase history) and have yet to be listed....
All this to say, I am glad I got back into eBay. I am paring down my clutter and stacking up some much needed dough (haha stack now, pay to insurance, phone, gasoline, Walmart, FoodLion, student loans...)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
While you were sleeping...
I was up at all hours of the night. Insomnia is a mean devil. It's all about school. I know it is! Classes are going well, and the semester ends next week... but tuition payments for next semester are due at the end of THIS week... and I don't have it. I have been searching careerbuilder.com for job opportunities, applied to a few with no response!! Not even a how do you do?! Not to give up, I started listing everything that is not nailed down on eBay (seller: and_ankhira) ... I have $40. Not even close. So, not giving up, I sent application to the last-resort Sallie Mae... "Aunt Sallie" will allow me to borrow but I have to have a sit down with the university loan officer, AND I STILL NEED A JOB!!
a job, well ... food service is not my cup of tea. I just don't like people. Plus, my hair falls out. Not in big clumps, but a strand here, there... I have to sweep the bathroom daily. I am EXTREMELY concerned when I am dealing with food, especially other people's food... there just isn't enough hairspray in the world.
And, I get flustered or confused easily when I am around others. I get nervous handling money, because I am afraid I will make a mistake. Plus, I worry that I am taking too long and holding people up.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS... some other students in my class agree. It's what they prefer, too. I guess rock-hounds prefer working with rocks instead of people because the rocks don't talk back, can't fire you, don't require financial transactions, never take too long a break, and if you DO get frustrated with a rock you can take a hammer and bust it!!
All to say I am very anxious. I am excited to be going to school in a program I enjoy, but anxious because I just cannot seem to get my eggs to stay in the basket and be counted!! GOOD GRIEF!!
a job, well ... food service is not my cup of tea. I just don't like people. Plus, my hair falls out. Not in big clumps, but a strand here, there... I have to sweep the bathroom daily. I am EXTREMELY concerned when I am dealing with food, especially other people's food... there just isn't enough hairspray in the world.
And, I get flustered or confused easily when I am around others. I get nervous handling money, because I am afraid I will make a mistake. Plus, I worry that I am taking too long and holding people up.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS... some other students in my class agree. It's what they prefer, too. I guess rock-hounds prefer working with rocks instead of people because the rocks don't talk back, can't fire you, don't require financial transactions, never take too long a break, and if you DO get frustrated with a rock you can take a hammer and bust it!!
All to say I am very anxious. I am excited to be going to school in a program I enjoy, but anxious because I just cannot seem to get my eggs to stay in the basket and be counted!! GOOD GRIEF!!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
There is never a good time.....
The heartbreak of losing a long-time pet might be lessened if you have an idea how their life will play out....
I found an informative article regarding the incidence of cancer(s) in Golden Retrievers (http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/cancer.pdf). My sister called me this morning to tell me that my mixed-breed Golden has been diagnosed as terminal and is currently under 24-hr intensive care at the animal hospital near their home.
My dog, Cagney, was a rescued from a family who couldn't (shouldn't) own a dog. They kept her as a young dog tied to a tree, often forgetting to feed her or bring her water. The neighbor asked to adopt her. When that neighbor moved, she could no longer care for a large dog at her new home, and I was able to adopt Cagney. When I went back to college, in 2003, Cagney stayed with my sister and her two dogs (both mixed breeds), and became well integrated into her family. My sister and her husband moved in 2006, with the dogs, to New Hampshire. I usually visit twice a year.
Cagney had suffered some lesions on/under her skin over the past two years. She had medication for them. My sister left for Thanksgiving vacation earlier in the week, and says Cagney appeared 'normal' considering the usual anxiety the dogs express anytime the family leaves. A close friend and neighbor pet-sit while my sister is away. The sitter noticed Cagney not eating and very lethargic. When the third day, she was not improving, the sitter took Cagney to the vet and called my sister with the news. The vet advised not to move the dog back home, as the cancer was making breathing difficult, and Cagney could be monitored better at the hospital.
I had read something about paternity-tests for dogs not too long ago, and wondered why would that be helpful to know. In that article, it was mentioned abut Golden Retrievers' elevated cancer risk. So, Cagney's situation is not a complete shock. However, it is always heartbreaking to lose a sweet-tempered pet that is such a loving part of the family. Most heartbroken will be her canine playmate, Lucy! I hope my sister will remember to play fetch and catch with her more often now that she has lost her best friend.
I found an informative article regarding the incidence of cancer(s) in Golden Retrievers (http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/cancer.pdf). My sister called me this morning to tell me that my mixed-breed Golden has been diagnosed as terminal and is currently under 24-hr intensive care at the animal hospital near their home.
My dog, Cagney, was a rescued from a family who couldn't (shouldn't) own a dog. They kept her as a young dog tied to a tree, often forgetting to feed her or bring her water. The neighbor asked to adopt her. When that neighbor moved, she could no longer care for a large dog at her new home, and I was able to adopt Cagney. When I went back to college, in 2003, Cagney stayed with my sister and her two dogs (both mixed breeds), and became well integrated into her family. My sister and her husband moved in 2006, with the dogs, to New Hampshire. I usually visit twice a year.
Cagney had suffered some lesions on/under her skin over the past two years. She had medication for them. My sister left for Thanksgiving vacation earlier in the week, and says Cagney appeared 'normal' considering the usual anxiety the dogs express anytime the family leaves. A close friend and neighbor pet-sit while my sister is away. The sitter noticed Cagney not eating and very lethargic. When the third day, she was not improving, the sitter took Cagney to the vet and called my sister with the news. The vet advised not to move the dog back home, as the cancer was making breathing difficult, and Cagney could be monitored better at the hospital.
I had read something about paternity-tests for dogs not too long ago, and wondered why would that be helpful to know. In that article, it was mentioned abut Golden Retrievers' elevated cancer risk. So, Cagney's situation is not a complete shock. However, it is always heartbreaking to lose a sweet-tempered pet that is such a loving part of the family. Most heartbroken will be her canine playmate, Lucy! I hope my sister will remember to play fetch and catch with her more often now that she has lost her best friend.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Dreaming of Spiders... sort of
Last night, well, technically this morning after I answered the phone and went back to sleep, I dreamt about tarantulas. Not just any tarantulas, and many more than one... It happened like this:
My friend and I were outside in the back yard making plans for an outdoor party. A character portrayed in the dream by the name and image of my ex-husband is checking out the grass and decides we need to put a picnic table at a location too close for comfort to a native animal's freshly dug hole. Indoors, he explains that tarantulas, oh look! there they are! Gray like a mouse, and not much bigger... are really not aggressive and he just likes to have them around. Apparently, this man is moving in with me but not as a romantic interest. Upon learning about the tarantulas, which are roaming freely about the house and climbing on me, I tell him this is not going to work. The tarantula that has climbed into my hand (not by invitation) senses my tension and begins to rear up in strike position. I toss it aside, and I make my point that the tarantulas will be a nuisance (and a terror) to guests. I remember feeling relieved that the moving process was not too far underway and he could easily move back to his previous roommate within a day or so.
Keep in mind, I am not afraid of much. Spiders don't freak me out. The tarantulas did not freak me out even when they were climbing on me. I just did not want them wandering loose wherever they pleased. I worried one would crawl into the bed and I would roll over on it or startle it and be a victim of a nasty bite, or they would get into the pantry and into the food. Plus, I was worried my friends would be less relaxed if there were big hairy spiders and would set one off and become a victim also.
So, non-weaving big hairy tarantulas that are not menacing but are nonetheless a nuisance, the idea of my ex-husband and myself on amicable terms, friends/family frequently invited to my house for food and fellowship.... I have never dreamt about tarantulas in the past. This is a new symbol for me. Web-making spiders I understand, vicious spiders I understand (like snakes, mean animals)... and more than one. There is a message in the numbering. It is significant that there was not ONE spider, but several (not a throng, but maybe more than a few... maybe four or five? all mouse-gray... just alike).
I am going now to look up gray tarantulas in wikipedia... I once dreamed of a white rhinocerous. Turns out the message in in knowing something about the animal (how it moves, hunts, eats, protects itself, etc). Maybe the tarantulas are a similar totem?
My friend and I were outside in the back yard making plans for an outdoor party. A character portrayed in the dream by the name and image of my ex-husband is checking out the grass and decides we need to put a picnic table at a location too close for comfort to a native animal's freshly dug hole. Indoors, he explains that tarantulas, oh look! there they are! Gray like a mouse, and not much bigger... are really not aggressive and he just likes to have them around. Apparently, this man is moving in with me but not as a romantic interest. Upon learning about the tarantulas, which are roaming freely about the house and climbing on me, I tell him this is not going to work. The tarantula that has climbed into my hand (not by invitation) senses my tension and begins to rear up in strike position. I toss it aside, and I make my point that the tarantulas will be a nuisance (and a terror) to guests. I remember feeling relieved that the moving process was not too far underway and he could easily move back to his previous roommate within a day or so.
Keep in mind, I am not afraid of much. Spiders don't freak me out. The tarantulas did not freak me out even when they were climbing on me. I just did not want them wandering loose wherever they pleased. I worried one would crawl into the bed and I would roll over on it or startle it and be a victim of a nasty bite, or they would get into the pantry and into the food. Plus, I was worried my friends would be less relaxed if there were big hairy spiders and would set one off and become a victim also.
So, non-weaving big hairy tarantulas that are not menacing but are nonetheless a nuisance, the idea of my ex-husband and myself on amicable terms, friends/family frequently invited to my house for food and fellowship.... I have never dreamt about tarantulas in the past. This is a new symbol for me. Web-making spiders I understand, vicious spiders I understand (like snakes, mean animals)... and more than one. There is a message in the numbering. It is significant that there was not ONE spider, but several (not a throng, but maybe more than a few... maybe four or five? all mouse-gray... just alike).
I am going now to look up gray tarantulas in wikipedia... I once dreamed of a white rhinocerous. Turns out the message in in knowing something about the animal (how it moves, hunts, eats, protects itself, etc). Maybe the tarantulas are a similar totem?
Happy Birthday, Jaran Stratton!
Repost: November 16, 2011...
Never give up on someone who not a day goes by that you don't think about them...
(Letter to long lost person of interest on his birthday, November 16, 2010)
Jaran,
Wherever you are, I hope life is treating you well! Even in the brief months our paths coincided, you made a tremendous impact on my life, more specifically: my spiritual life. The Christ Light shines brightly from within you. I admire your ability to remain composed under fire and your unyielding respect of others when they showed no respect to you. You inspired me to reach for the stars and to follow my passion.
When we worked together, I was over-stressed, hungry and exhausted , and I could rattle off the most absurd ideas without conscious cognitive filtering. For that reason, and maybe others, you must believe I am a complete wacko. Perhaps, I was at the time. Now, I have been reborn, and I am amazed and embarrassed by some of the things I remember about those months.
When we last spoke, I was preparing to enroll in astrophysics at a local university. Well, rocket science was a little beyond my aptitude, and I found I am well suited for rock science. I earned a BA in Geography/Earth and Environmental Sciences and am pursuing the dream to be an astrogeologist with NASA or USGS Mars research (in the future, at the moment I am taking remedial courses at State :) to meet graduate school admission requirements for a Master's in Geology)..I haven't honed in on a grad school yet...
I hope you periodically search your own name in Google or other places, and you will stumble upon this message. If you do, I hope you will take a few moments and send me a message on my Facebook page or some other venue. I miss you, especially those big blue eyes! I hope you are well, warm and fed.
God bless you always, Jaran!
Always.
Heidi
Never give up on someone who not a day goes by that you don't think about them...
(Letter to long lost person of interest on his birthday, November 16, 2010)
Jaran,
Wherever you are, I hope life is treating you well! Even in the brief months our paths coincided, you made a tremendous impact on my life, more specifically: my spiritual life. The Christ Light shines brightly from within you. I admire your ability to remain composed under fire and your unyielding respect of others when they showed no respect to you. You inspired me to reach for the stars and to follow my passion.
When we worked together, I was over-stressed, hungry and exhausted , and I could rattle off the most absurd ideas without conscious cognitive filtering. For that reason, and maybe others, you must believe I am a complete wacko. Perhaps, I was at the time. Now, I have been reborn, and I am amazed and embarrassed by some of the things I remember about those months.
When we last spoke, I was preparing to enroll in astrophysics at a local university. Well, rocket science was a little beyond my aptitude, and I found I am well suited for rock science. I earned a BA in Geography/Earth and Environmental Sciences and am pursuing the dream to be an astrogeologist with NASA or USGS Mars research (in the future, at the moment I am taking remedial courses at State :) to meet graduate school admission requirements for a Master's in Geology)..I haven't honed in on a grad school yet...
I hope you periodically search your own name in Google or other places, and you will stumble upon this message. If you do, I hope you will take a few moments and send me a message on my Facebook page or some other venue. I miss you, especially those big blue eyes! I hope you are well, warm and fed.
God bless you always, Jaran!
Always.
Heidi
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Letterboxing!!
Oh, I had a great day! A friend and I went LETTERBOXING! We discovered a total of nine (9) boxes today! I got the bug last night when I discovered a new box not too far away that had no recorded finds. My friend agreed we should go get it (discover it, stamp the logbook, and record the find). She and I took our individually designed and hand-carved stamps and our logbooks (and a few pads of ink) on our trek. We were too late to snag the bragging rights as first finders of the new box. However, the first finder left a special token/charm for the second finder. Awww! Touched. I might have to be more aggressive to finding new boxes and leaving consolation gifts to the second finder. (I mean that sincerely, although, I know you tried to read that with sarcasm!)
What's letterboxing, you ask? It is a globally popular pastime of planters and seekers (finders)! Information, rules of conduct, glossary of terms, and most importantly clues to the locations of the boxes, are found at http://www.atlasquest.com/ I understand that Letterboxers of North America (LBNA) also has listings, although I have only used that site on occasion and sometimes atlasquest clues are redirected to the LBNA listing for that box.
To begin this inexpensive (except for car fuel) hobby make a stamp using a bar eraser (like the pink erasers) or purchase your signature stamp at any craft store (can get a coll one for $1. You just have to look) Next, you need an inkpad (I recommend one from the stamping section of the craft store, as office supply inks often bleed through the page) and you need a logbook... any lined or unlined journal or even a spiral-bound set of index cards.
Then go to www.atlasquest.com read the code of conduct and, if you can agree to the rules, set up an account. Do a quick city search on your city to find location of boxes near you. Go treasure hunting! haha. The treasure is getting outdoors, doing a little walking, and finding pretty pictures to stamp into your logbook. Don't forget to stamp YOUR signature stamp into the box's log. Put the stamp and log back into their container and rehide where you found it. Go home and log in to atlasquest to record your find(s)!! (no spoilers! you can comment "Nice stamp!" but don't write "Oh! what a pretty butterfly!" because part of the treasure is the surprise of the design!)
This is a global hobby, and there are letterboxes everywhere you go! So now you can pack your stamp and journal with you whenever you are traveling, and you can look up box clues before you leave and you will have something inexpensive to do on your trip! Fun to show off stamps (more fun than some geocache stuff I have seen!)
Speaking of geocaching... Sometimes there are letterboxes in the same area. A letterbox is usually marked that it is a letterbox (on the inside), plus, it has a rubber stamp usually wrapped and placed in a plastic baggie together with a small notebook. Nothing else. So WHY would a geocacher think this is a GC box and take the stamp out? So, please put the stamp and logbook back. Oh, nothing else? Well, there is this thing called a hitchhiker, but I will let you discover that on your own!....
What's letterboxing, you ask? It is a globally popular pastime of planters and seekers (finders)! Information, rules of conduct, glossary of terms, and most importantly clues to the locations of the boxes, are found at http://www.atlasquest.com/ I understand that Letterboxers of North America (LBNA) also has listings, although I have only used that site on occasion and sometimes atlasquest clues are redirected to the LBNA listing for that box.
To begin this inexpensive (except for car fuel) hobby make a stamp using a bar eraser (like the pink erasers) or purchase your signature stamp at any craft store (can get a coll one for $1. You just have to look) Next, you need an inkpad (I recommend one from the stamping section of the craft store, as office supply inks often bleed through the page) and you need a logbook... any lined or unlined journal or even a spiral-bound set of index cards.
Then go to www.atlasquest.com read the code of conduct and, if you can agree to the rules, set up an account. Do a quick city search on your city to find location of boxes near you. Go treasure hunting! haha. The treasure is getting outdoors, doing a little walking, and finding pretty pictures to stamp into your logbook. Don't forget to stamp YOUR signature stamp into the box's log. Put the stamp and log back into their container and rehide where you found it. Go home and log in to atlasquest to record your find(s)!! (no spoilers! you can comment "Nice stamp!" but don't write "Oh! what a pretty butterfly!" because part of the treasure is the surprise of the design!)
This is a global hobby, and there are letterboxes everywhere you go! So now you can pack your stamp and journal with you whenever you are traveling, and you can look up box clues before you leave and you will have something inexpensive to do on your trip! Fun to show off stamps (more fun than some geocache stuff I have seen!)
Speaking of geocaching... Sometimes there are letterboxes in the same area. A letterbox is usually marked that it is a letterbox (on the inside), plus, it has a rubber stamp usually wrapped and placed in a plastic baggie together with a small notebook. Nothing else. So WHY would a geocacher think this is a GC box and take the stamp out? So, please put the stamp and logbook back. Oh, nothing else? Well, there is this thing called a hitchhiker, but I will let you discover that on your own!....
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Voices in my head
That is nothing new. Voices in my head, I mean. Only, they don't usually all try to speak at once. I am stressing over registering for the Spring semester. As much as I love my new home business, it is that: a home business. I can only get out of it what I put into it, and if I am not putting in some time several days every week, the returns will not be earthshaking. So I am worried about paying for tuition next semester. I SHOULD be worried about paying insurance premium, cell phone, and student loan payments after next month. So I looked at my immediate inventory, you know, the stuff I have sitting around that I could part with. Hmmm. A few licensed items I could post on eBay. Nothing worth $50 or more. So what about crafts? I like to sew (I broke my sewing machine), and crochet, and I just recently taught myself to knit. How quickly (in my "spare" time) can I crank out some liquid inventory? Set up account on etsy.com to sell handmade items.
So now on to studies: optical mineralogy. We did some heavier math situations today. To find the birefringence of a mineral, and use that data to determine the mineral, you find some 2V angle which is the difference between the Optic Axes (plural) and look that number in the table to start narrowing your options. This might take a few days to sink in.
Then, I read an article in our campus newspaper about some 30 year study that links the ratio of a nation's debt to their GDP (gross domestic product) to establish a "tipping point" at which the economy of that nation will start to decline... like a debt-to-income ratio for individuals. Turns out, 0.77 is the magic number. Just like in the real world, when your DTIR exceeds 75%, you are failing! (falling, failing...). You are already out of control. The US debt-to-GCP ratio is currently 84%. But "this shouldn't be overinterpreted," claims Thomas Grennes, professor in department of economics at NCSU. He states, "When the country spends more than it has, it will issue bonds." That will fix everything! Everyone, let's go out and purchase government bonds at low interest rates. Congress must get our budget under control (pay cuts in the Capitol are a start, I don't see how any of them deserve the obscene salaries they make! How many houses, cars, boats, vacation homes... do you have? )
Okay. Enough rambling. I must get to work on crocheting some quick crafts so I can post a few sell-able items . I need to take pictures of the 4 items for eBay ... pathetic... 4 items? that's it? I need more yarn!
So now on to studies: optical mineralogy. We did some heavier math situations today. To find the birefringence of a mineral, and use that data to determine the mineral, you find some 2V angle which is the difference between the Optic Axes (plural) and look that number in the table to start narrowing your options. This might take a few days to sink in.
Then, I read an article in our campus newspaper about some 30 year study that links the ratio of a nation's debt to their GDP (gross domestic product) to establish a "tipping point" at which the economy of that nation will start to decline... like a debt-to-income ratio for individuals. Turns out, 0.77 is the magic number. Just like in the real world, when your DTIR exceeds 75%, you are failing! (falling, failing...). You are already out of control. The US debt-to-GCP ratio is currently 84%. But "this shouldn't be overinterpreted," claims Thomas Grennes, professor in department of economics at NCSU. He states, "When the country spends more than it has, it will issue bonds." That will fix everything! Everyone, let's go out and purchase government bonds at low interest rates. Congress must get our budget under control (pay cuts in the Capitol are a start, I don't see how any of them deserve the obscene salaries they make! How many houses, cars, boats, vacation homes... do you have? )
Okay. Enough rambling. I must get to work on crocheting some quick crafts so I can post a few sell-able items . I need to take pictures of the 4 items for eBay ... pathetic... 4 items? that's it? I need more yarn!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
My New Job
Okay, forgive me for being behind the times.... what exactly should a person blog about? Mundane details of the day? Maybe political rants (I have seen those!)? Am I writing to myself, or to please the reader? See, that makes a difference as to what I would actually include. Hmmm... let's start from the top:
I am no longer 30-something. I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up (any day now!). I want to be a planetary geologist. I believe that title has been reconstructed to "astrogeologist," for reasons unknown except now the title is one word instead of two. Longer titles make lower salaries? So, to get to that dream career, I learned I need at least a Masters in Geology. Wow. My Bachelor's degree isn't propelling me toward any great-paying jobs, but I CAN use it to fuel my graduate studies. Darn it! Graduate school costs an arm AND a leg! I also need to take the GRE (general requirements/graduate readiness exam different people refer to it by different names). To top it off, my undergrad did not include some of the core courses required for my new academic path. That's okay. The local universities (plural!) offer those courses, so I am safely enrolled for now. .... except I have a hard time working a 9-5 or 7-7 or 8-5 or whatever rat-race hours are out there. I need to work when I can work, and be off on the days I need to study, or go on a field trip, or visit my grandmother, or travel to visit with far away friends and family.
That's when I found PartyLite! I was a guest at a party back in the spring, with no money to actually buy anything. The consultant gave me a free "tealight" candle with her contact information and asked me to check out her website. We stayed in contact through the summer, and when I quit my second job since the party, I asked her to tell me more about this home party business. No startup costs!! I just needed to have a show at my house (or a friend's house) with $350+ in sales, and sign the paperwork! Okay, I also had to call up my friends to get 6 shows in the first month (or two months). I had 3 for the first month, and two for the second month at first, but then I discovered I can easily meet new people and get leads for new parties either at the parties or while I am out and about! If I have at least one show a week, I get a check every week from PartyLite! I control my hours and my income, and I learned quickly that (e)x EFFORT = (e)xRESULTS!! So, if I put in only a little effort in seeking new prospects, I get small returns on my effort. Contact 3 people, maybe get one party scheduled. Contact 10 people, maybe get 4. Contact 20 people, maybe get 12!! It's not a perfect relationship, but rewarding! I earn from EVERY party, and my host earns a pile of free stuff, too! It's WIN-WIN for me, because PartyLite sends me MORE FREE PRODUCTS every time I meet a sales challenge! The challenges are ALWAYS attainable! I LOVE IT!
Oh, my!! I guess I enjoy my new job?! Ha Ha.. That's a first!
www.partylite.com/sweepstakes code: X77W9T
I am no longer 30-something. I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up (any day now!). I want to be a planetary geologist. I believe that title has been reconstructed to "astrogeologist," for reasons unknown except now the title is one word instead of two. Longer titles make lower salaries? So, to get to that dream career, I learned I need at least a Masters in Geology. Wow. My Bachelor's degree isn't propelling me toward any great-paying jobs, but I CAN use it to fuel my graduate studies. Darn it! Graduate school costs an arm AND a leg! I also need to take the GRE (general requirements/graduate readiness exam different people refer to it by different names). To top it off, my undergrad did not include some of the core courses required for my new academic path. That's okay. The local universities (plural!) offer those courses, so I am safely enrolled for now. .... except I have a hard time working a 9-5 or 7-7 or 8-5 or whatever rat-race hours are out there. I need to work when I can work, and be off on the days I need to study, or go on a field trip, or visit my grandmother, or travel to visit with far away friends and family.
That's when I found PartyLite! I was a guest at a party back in the spring, with no money to actually buy anything. The consultant gave me a free "tealight" candle with her contact information and asked me to check out her website. We stayed in contact through the summer, and when I quit my second job since the party, I asked her to tell me more about this home party business. No startup costs!! I just needed to have a show at my house (or a friend's house) with $350+ in sales, and sign the paperwork! Okay, I also had to call up my friends to get 6 shows in the first month (or two months). I had 3 for the first month, and two for the second month at first, but then I discovered I can easily meet new people and get leads for new parties either at the parties or while I am out and about! If I have at least one show a week, I get a check every week from PartyLite! I control my hours and my income, and I learned quickly that (e)x EFFORT = (e)xRESULTS!! So, if I put in only a little effort in seeking new prospects, I get small returns on my effort. Contact 3 people, maybe get one party scheduled. Contact 10 people, maybe get 4. Contact 20 people, maybe get 12!! It's not a perfect relationship, but rewarding! I earn from EVERY party, and my host earns a pile of free stuff, too! It's WIN-WIN for me, because PartyLite sends me MORE FREE PRODUCTS every time I meet a sales challenge! The challenges are ALWAYS attainable! I LOVE IT!
Oh, my!! I guess I enjoy my new job?! Ha Ha.. That's a first!
www.partylite.com/sweepstakes code: X77W9T
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